


Won't You Please Come Get Your Baby

by BroadwayItBitch



Series: Family Life [11]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Car Accidents, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Hurt Billy Hargrove, Hurt/Comfort, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Pregnancy, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-25 18:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19751020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BroadwayItBitch/pseuds/BroadwayItBitch
Summary: A call from the hospital sends Max a surprise from Hawkins; her mother and stepfather, whom she hasn't seen in nearly three years.





	Won't You Please Come Get Your Baby

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This fic was kind of inspired by the season finale of Stranger Things 3, because I actually loved the Billy redemption (even though he did have a tragic demise) and the fact that Max cared for her stepbrother. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

El sat on the couch, looking at the TV. Isadora was down for bed, and Max would be coming home soon with dinner (well, more like second dinner). The rerun of  _ FRIENDS _ echoed in the background. She heard the keys jingle in the lock, then the door opened.

“El, I’m home,” Max called out, but her voice was hushed due to her daughter sleeping.

El got up from the couch, walking into the kitchen.

On the counter were takeout boxes from the nearby Italian restaurant. Max had been craving Italian during her second pregnancy, which made El remember her cravings with Isadora. Max craved a lot of tomato soup with saltines when she was pregnant last time.

“Want me to get Izzy up?” El asked, wrapping her arms around Max’s waist, placing her hands on Max’s four month belly.

“No, let her sleep,” Max replied, opening a box full of takeout.

Max took a fork from the drawer, and stabbed it into the lasagna. She brought it to her mouth, taking a bite.

El detached from Max, kissing her cheek. “Any kicks from the baby?” She asked.

“No, he’s been radio silent for days,” Max laughed. “C’mon, little man, make a little move.”

They’d found out they were having a boy last week, but they were struggling with a name. With Izzy, it took until Max was eight months pregnant to come up with her name.

“And you seem a lot more confident today. I’m proud of you, Maxie,” El praised. It was true, Max was more confident in herself with this pregnancy, not caring about the stares she’d gotten. “What movie do you wanna watch tonight?”

Max took another bite of lasagna. “How about… Hocus Pocus?” El nodded, smiling to her wife. “Go ahead and start eating, El, I grabbed some pasta for you.”

El grabbed the other takeout box, opening it. The smell of pasta wafted through the kitchen. El grabbed a fork as well, and began eating. “Oh, my God,” El said, the food muffling her voice. “It’s so good…”

Then they heard the pitter patter of feet. Max turned around to see Isadora, her hair all tangled and her nightgown wrinkled.

“Mama?” She murmured.

“What’s up, baby girl?” Max questioned, setting her lasagna on the table. She walked to the almost three-year-old, picking her up. “You’re supposed to be in bed, hun.”

Isadora rubbed her eyes. “I woke up, Mama.”

Max clicked her tongue. “You woke up?” Izzy nodded her head. “Well, Mommy and I can fix that. Ellie?”

El set the pasta on the table as well. El and Max walked to Izzy’s room, setting her back into bed, and covering her daughter with the covers.

El began snapping her fingers in half notes and hummed in that tempo.

“ _ Maybe far away, or maybe real nearby, he may be pouring her coffee, she maybe straightening his tie, _ ” Max sang. Max barely sang, only really for Isadora and El. “ _ Maybe in a house, all hidden by a hill. She’s sitting playing piano, he’s sitting paying a bill. _ ”

Max then started to hum. “ _ Betcha they’re young, betcha they’re smart. Bet they collect things, like ashtrays and art, _ ” El sang as well.

Then Max began to sing again, with El humming again as well. “ _ Betcha they’re good. Why shouldn’t they be? _ ”

“ _ They’re one mistake was giving up me, _ ” Isadora’s mothers sang together. “ _ So maybe now it’s time, and maybe when I wake, they’ll be there calling me baby. Maybe. _ ”

Isadora started to smile to her moms.

“ _ Betcha he reads, betcha she sews, _ ” Max continued to sing on her own, but still had the snapping and humming from her wife. “ _ Maybe she’s made me a closet of clothes. Maybe they’re strict as straight as a line. Don’t really care, as long as they’re mine. So maybe now this prayer’s the last one of its kind. Won’t you please come get your baby? _ ”

Max and El paused for two rests before finishing the song with, “ _ Maybe… _ ”

Max looked down at Izzy, seeing that she is fast asleep. Max quietly shushed El, getting up from Izzy’s bed, and they tip-toed out of her room.

“I still can’t believe that works every time,” El whispered, trying not to wake Isadora.

“I know, right?” Max whispered back, and they walked back to the kitchen to eat their food.

\--------------------

Max and El fell asleep during the movie, Max laying on El’s chest. El had fallen asleep first, then Max a half hour later. Max was dreaming of her mother, once so lovely until she heard the phone ringing.

Reluctantly getting up, Max grabbed the phone on the end table, pressing the answer button.

“Hello?” She groggily asked. “Yes, this is she. El got up as the caller talked to Max. “What? Is he okay?” She frantically questioned. “Okay, which hospital?” El placed a hand on Max’s shoulder. “Thank you. We’ll be there soon.”

Max got up from the couch, grabbing her purse that was on the recliner.

“Max, what’s going on?” El concernedly asked.

“It’s Billy, he was in a car accident,” Max said.

“Is he okay?”

Max shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think it’s really bad.” Max walked to the front hallway, grabbing her keys and putting on some shoes. “Shit, we need to call Hop and Joyce.”

El walked over to Max, putting her hands on her wife’s shoulders. “Max, relax. I’ll call Mom and Dad, and we’ll drop Izzy off there. I’ll drive even,” El placed her hands on either sides of Max’s neck. “Just take a breath.”

Max breathed through her nose, holding it for a moment before letting it out her mouth. “Okay… okay...”

El smiled sweetly. “I’ll get Isadora ready, love. You go down to the car, and be in the passenger seat, okay?” Max nodded. “I’ll be right down, sweetie.”

\--------------------

They had dropped Izzy with Hopper and Joyce about fifteen minutes ago. Max didn’t want to explain why they had to drop her off so late in the night.

El and Max walked into the emergency room entrance, walking to the nurse’s station.

“We’re here to see Billy Hargrove,” Max said to the nurse.

“Relationship to the patient?” The nurse asked.

“I’m his stepsister, and this is my wife,” Max replied.

“Room ninety-three, end of the hall,” The nurse permitted them to go down the hall.

Max and El walked down the corridor. Max frantically speed walked to room ninety-three, while El tried to keep up. Once at the door, Max took a deep breath before opening it.

The sight startled her. Billy was in the hospital bed, cuts and scrapes and bruises covering him.

“Oh, my God,” Max whispered, walking to her stepbrother’s side. “Billy? Billy?”

Billy didn’t have a breathing tube down his throat, meaning he was able to breathe on his own, which Max was thankful for.

Tears beaded up in Max’s eyes, then when she blinked, the tears fell on Billy’s shoulder, dampening the hospital gown.

Billy began to groan, shifting in the bed. El grabbed Max’s hand.

“M-Max?” Billy questioned, strain in his voice.

“Hey, Billy,” Max happily said, running a hand through his hair. “It’s me. And El is here, too.”

Billy huffed a laugh, adjusting himself in the bed. “I’m glad you came. Both of you.” El smiled to her stepbrother-in-law.

Then the door opened, making Max and El turn around.

At the door was Susan and Neil Hargrove.

“Maxine?” Susan said with shock in her voice. “What are you doing here?”

Max felt fear go through her veins. The fact that she’s seeing her mother and stepfather after almost three years, in possibly the worst scenario possible, it’s scary to her.

El could sense her wife’s anxiety, grabbing Max’s hand and intertwining their fingers. “We’re here to see Billy,” El said.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Neil yelled, scaring Max.

“Dad, I-”

“No, we haven’t seen you in years, because of this girl turning you into a dyke!” Neil exclaimed.

Max’s eyes widened, biting the inside of her cheek.

“Neil, please.”

Max ran out of the room, overwhelmed with Neil’s yelling.

El looked at her in-laws, an angry face appearing. “Just so you know, Neil, Max has been through so much shit when you came into her life. You abandoned her in the worst way possible, while she was pregnant, for God’s sake. I hope you’re happy.”

El walked out of the room, following her wife.

\--------------------

Max was outside in the waiting room, crying her eyes out. Thoughts ran through her head, thoughts that were bad.

“Is everything alright?” Max looked up to see a nurse. Her blonde hair was up in a bun, and her face was soft with empathy.

“I don’t know,” Max shakily replied.

The nurse goes behind the desk near the waiting area, grabbing a box of tissues. “Here,” She said, handing Max the tissues

“Thank you.”

The nurse smiled, giving Max a little more comfort.

El came through the doors with a water bottle in her hands, rushing over to Max. “Got you some water, lovely. You need to keep yourself hydrated.” Max grabbed the water bottle, cracking it open. She took a few gulps, swallowing them hard and making her chest hurt. She winced, patting her chest a bit. “Careful, careful.”

Max coughed. “Thanks, Ellie.” Max smiled tearfully, taking another sip of water.

“We can leave if you want. We don’t have to be subjected by Neil’s abuse,” El said, running her hand on her wife’s arm.

“No, I wanna be here for Billy,” Max replied.

El nodded in understanding. “Okay, hun.” El pecked Max’s lips, making her smile brighter. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, El.”

The door to the corridor opened and the Mayfield-Hoppers looked in that direction, seeing Neil and Susan in the doorway.

“Oh, you’re still here,” Neil grumbled. “I’m getting a beer, I’ll be back.”

Neil walked out of the emergency room, leaving his wife, stepdaughter and stepdaughter-in-law.

Susan sat next to Max. The psychological weight on Max’s shoulders made her slouch, she didn’t want Susan to be next to her.

“You know, you can go see Billy if you want to,” Susan said. “I won’t stop you.”

Max looked at her mother, astonishment on her face.

“Thanks, Mom,” She said. “But I think we’ll come back tomorrow.”

Susan nodded, looking down to her lap. “Look, I know it’s late to ask this, but I just have to know. How are you?”

El grabbed Max’s hand, squeezing it gently. Max squeezed back.

“I’m fine, Mom. We’re fine.” Max put her free hand to her belly. “He’s kicking, wanna feel?”

Susan nodded once more, putting both her hands on Max’s belly. She felt the little kicks, they felt featherweight.

“I’m proud of you, Max. You have a wonderful family. I’m sorry I didn’t try to contact you sooner.”

Max almost burst into tears again, this time in joy.

“Thank you. Thank you, Mommy,” Max hugged her mom for the first time in years. Tears were streaming down her face.

“And, El. Thank you for giving my daughter the love and support that I couldn’t give her.”

El smiled, grateful that her mother-in-law acknowledged her. Susan smiled back.

“Hey, we should be going now,” El said.

“She’s right. It’s really late,” Max replied. “We’ll be back tomorrow.”

Susan nodded once more. “See you then?”

“See you then,” Max confirmed.

While that they may be on good terms now, they still had awhile to be on the level of trust. And Susan would do anything for that.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I am still working on Beyond: Two Souls, I'm just a little stumped, as well as some AUs for the Andi Mack fandom.


End file.
